Writer documents adventures of American explorer Writer documents adventures of American explorer (April 27, 2005)

Everyone knows that the territory that became the United States was "discovered" by sea-going explorers, but were there U.S. citizens who joined in during the era of world exploration?

A new book edited by James Zug, a former Almanac writer, collects the journals of John Ledyard, a Connecticut Yankee born in 1751 who sailed with Captain Cook on his last voyage, was a pen pal of Thomas Jefferson's, tramped across Russia during the reign of Catherine the Great, and visited Egypt before its invasion by Napoleon.

A sample: "Mr. Ledyard presents his compliments to Mr. Jefferson -- he has been imprisoned and banished by the Empriss of Russia from her dominions after having almost gained the pacific ocean. he is now on his way to Africa to see what he can do with that continent."

The book is "The Last Voyage of Captain Cook: The Collected Writings of John Ledyard," by James Zug, published by the National Geographic Society.

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